Brett
King:"Banking is no longer somewhere you
go, it's something you do.” “The key skill sets in this new
world will belong to the data scientists who understand when, why, and
how customers use bank products, and the storytellers who can place the
product or service in the customer's life when and where they need it."
Stefan
Hyttfors:
"What would you do if money was no object? To almost nine out of
ten adults the answer is ”something else”. While you might
find this sad (I do) it is also proof of a great opportunity. Organisations
and leaders who don’t see people as a commodity to be managed in
order to grow money, but rather see money as the commodity in their
mission to help grow people, and society, is a new trend in Silicon
Valley."
Gita
Gopinath: "The
advantages of globalization are actually much like the advantages of
technological improvement. They have very similar effects: they raise
output in countries, raise productivity, create more jobs, raise wages,
and lower prices of products in the world economy."
Kim
Stanley Robinson:
“To be clear, concluding in brief: there is enough for all. So
there should be no more people living in poverty. And there should be
no more billionaires."
Lead Article:
Management
is so passé — it’s co-cre:ation that workers are demanding by David
Weitzner
It’s time for business, political and
organizational leaders to give up on “management.”
Workers today don’t
want to be managed, even benevolently. They want to be partners
in co-creation, where all members are empowered to bring
their whole selves to the organization regardless of hierarchies.
Consequently, those uncomfortably perched
atop organizational hierarchies are faced with a stark choice: Co-create
or manage, because you cannot do both.
As businesses start to envision a post-pandemic
world, they are faced with unprecedented challenges, like the so-called
Great
Resignation that involves millions of employees opting to
quit their unfulfilling jobs, and political pressures to “build
back better.” As I argue in my recent book, Connected
Capitalism, we need to move away from an emphasis on “management”
and towards a focus on co-creation.
Management is passé. Co-creation will
allow us to thrive in meeting the changing demands of key stakeholders
like employees, customers and governments.
Employee malaise
Even before the pandemic, there was
a crisis
of worker dissatisfaction, with millennials — the generation
poised to make up the majority of our workforce — viewing business as
out of step with their priorities.
Corporations must commit to
a broader social purpose or face disconnected and unmotivated
workers unlikely to stay in their jobs. Co-creation builds on that rare
and valuable sense of connection emerging in the very best type of purpose-driven
co-operative partnerships.
The feeling of connection is so important,
I believe we will start to normalize viewing friendship as an essential
work resource, since we now know that co-operation is not born of deep
analytical calculations, but
intuition and feelings.
Often, when management gurus talk about
co-operation, what they really mean is managing subordinates into passivity.
Co-operation in this context is contingent
on repression. That’s not co-creation.
Managing employees into passivity is increasingly a thing of the past.(Pexels)
Panicked responses
When I speak to executives, I often
get a panicked reaction: “What does this mean for my power to run the
business?!?”
Assuredly, decision-making power stays
in the C-suites. But an empowered team only increases the effectiveness
of leadership. And while corporate behemoths like Google are
leading with this new course of action, a 20-year study of
more
than 300 companies found human-centric approaches that empowered
employees improved performance in a wide variety of settings.
And co-creation is not only about loosening
the managerial reins on employees. Many businesses have come to realize
that they don’t get the best product by closely managing their
suppliers with laundry lists of desired specifications.
Instead, optimal outcomes are often
attained by supporting suppliers in co-creation, giving up
control and letting them lead the way. This exercise in trust and vulnerability
showcases the deepest level of relationship — when two organizations
surprise one another by understanding each other so deeply that one
delivers what the other wants but did not ask for.
Does the ultimate decision-making power
still sit with the paying client? Of course. Clients can demand their
supplier’s development team stick to product roadmaps and manage the
process so requested features get built.
Are there significant efficiency and
reputational risks involved when managers take the liberties afforded
by co-creation? Absolutely. But the better question to ask is this —
does a path to innovation exist that isn’t full of risk and inefficiencies?
I don’t know of one.
Generational shift
Consider current indicators that workers
are quitting rather than giving up the ability to work from
home.
Michael
Solomon, co-founder of 10x Management, explained to me that
this is an expected feature of the “talent economy.” Everybody, up and
down the hierarchy, is both empowered and willing to take responsibility
for what they do.
Whether the outcomes are good or bad,
those who take risks own the consequences. Are there risks in letting
workers set the terms of how they work? Yes. And to some executives,
workers making such demands appear to have an unjustifiable sense of
entitlement.
But feeling like you are being managed
is antithetical to productive work. Solomon explains this as a generational
shift, and warns that the old style of management is being phased out
fairly quickly.
Younger employees in particular want autonomy and to feel empowered
at work.(Piqsels)
Co-creation doesn’t mean we no longer
need CEOs. But it may be more helpful to view leading exclusively as
a verb and not a noun.
Business researchers are finally emphasizing
the relational
and dynamic aspects of power, how a leader’s relationships
with stakeholders can be a source of support or resistance and how they
must continually adapt to changes in social systems.
Human-centric work future
The shift away from the stifling, controlling
and outdated dominance of management in favour of co-creation is an
absolute must for those helming organizations — from private sector
businesses to governments and health-care organizations — even if the
prospect makes some existing leaders uncomfortable.
Using the tools of co-creation where
we once used management hierarchies means expanding the rigid boundaries
between the social, professional and personal, which we have been clinging
to in corporate settings for too long.
Workers are demanding a more human-centric
future, with space for trust and vulnerability. There is no going back
to the “before world.” Management is over. The era of co-creation is
underway.
Women in Economics:
Gita Gopinath
by CEPR (Centre for Economic
Policy Research) & VideoVox Economics
As part of her work to foster sustainable
growth, Gita Gopinath emphasises how countries need to ensure that all
people can benefit from new growth opportunities. Taking action that
boosts economic growth while at the same time improving inclusiveness
is needed across all economies, according to Gopinath. “How do
you continue to raise income levels and improve the livelihoods of people
while at the same time not creating increased inequality? How do we
get people who have otherwise not been big participants in the global
economy to play a bigger role? All of this is important for sustainability.”
How can countries grow sustainably?
Gita Gopinath
Gita Gopinath is the First
Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as
of January 21, 2022. In that role she oversees the work of staff, represents
the Fund at multilateral forums, maintains high-level contacts with
member governments and Board members, the media, and other institutions,
leads the Fund’s work on surveillance and related policies, and
oversees research and flagship publications.
Ms. Gopinath previously
served as the Chief Economist of the Fund from 2019-22. In that role,
she was the Economic Counsellor of the Fund and Director of its Research
Department. She helmed thirteen releases of the World Economic Outlook,
including forecasts of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global
economy. She co-authored the “Pandemic Paper” on how to end
the COVID-19 pandemic that set globally endorsed targets for vaccinating
the world and led to the creation of the Multilateral Task Force made
up of the leadership of the IMF, World Bank, WTO, and WHO to help end
the pandemic and the establishment of a working group with vaccine manufacturers
to identify trade barriers, supply bottlenecks, and accelerate delivery
of vaccines to low- and lower-middle income countries. She also worked
with other Fund departments to connect with policy makers, academics,
and other stakeholders on a new analytical approach to help countries
respond to international capital flows via the Integrated Policy Framework.
She also helped set up a Climate Change team inside the IMF to analyze,
among other things, optimal climate mitigation policies.
Prior to joining the IMF,
Ms. Gopinath was the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies
and of Economics at Harvard University’s economics department (2005-22)
and before that she was an assistant professor of economics at the University
of Chicago’s Booth School of Business (2001-05). Her research,
which focuses on International Finance and Macroeconomics, is widely
cited and has been published in many top economics journals. She has
authored numerous research articles on exchange rates, trade and investment,
international financial crises, monetary policy, debt, and emerging
market crises.
Ms. Gopinath is an elected
fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Econometric
Society, and a member of the Group of Thirty. She has previously served
as the co-director of the International Finance and Macroeconomics program
at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a member of the
economic advisory panel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and
a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. She is the
co-editor of the current Handbook of International Economics and was
earlier the co-editor of the American Economic Review and managing editor
of the Review of Economic Studies.
Ms. Gopinath was born in
India and is a U.S. national and an overseas citizen of India. She has
received numerous awards and commendations. In 2021, Financial Times
named her among the ‘25 most influential women of the year’,
the International Economic Association named her the Schumpeter-Haberler
Distinguished Fellow, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association
recognized her with the John Kenneth Galbraith Award, and the Carnegie
Corporation named her among ‘Great (American) Immigrants’.
She was named among the Bloomberg ‘50 people who defined 2019’,
a ‘Top Global Thinker’ by Foreign Policy, and among the ‘Women
who Broke Major Barriers to Become Firsts' by Time Magazine.
Ms. Gopinath is the recipient
of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the highest honor conferred on overseas
Indians by the Government of India, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award
from the University of Washington. The IMF named her one of the ‘top
25 economists under 45’ in 2014, she was chosen as one of the ‘25
Indians to Watch’ by the Financial Times in 2012, and she was selected
as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2011.
Ms. Gopinath received her
Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University in 2001, after earning
a B.A. from Lady Shri Ram College and M.A. degrees from Delhi School
of Economics and the University of Washington.
Brett King, the author
of a new book titled The Rise of Technosocialism, to discuss
how 21st century economics will be reframed by inequality, automation
and climate change. Right now inflation is a massive issue, but it’s
just the start of some seismic changes to core economics set to hit
humanity over the next few decades. Which future scenario is likely?
The 21st
century is going to be the most disruptive, contentious period humanity
has ever lived through. It will challenge our most sacred ideologies
around politics, economics and social constructs. It will force humanity
to adapt in ways we can't yet imagine.
If the cost of providing
universal health care is lower than the cost of building a political
movement to prevent it, would politicians still view it as socialism?
In a world where algorithms and robots take the jobs of immigrants
and citizens alike, are border controls an effective response? If
unemployment skyrockets due to automation, would conservative governments
rather battle long-term social unrest, or could they agree on something
like universal basic income? When renewable energy sources are a fraction
of the cost of coal-generated electricity, should lobbyists be able
to prevent changes to energy infrastructure? When the crowd's mood
is measured in influence and exabytes, will real-time democracy render
elections a thing of the past?
Brett King and Dr. Richard
Petty explore the seismic social changes that will be thrust on the
world over the coming decades. The Rise of Technosocialism seeks to
answer both how our children will live with AI and climate disruption,
along with which economies will likely emerge victorious in an always-on,
smart world.
The World
Bank Group is committed to ending extreme poverty and
boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. The World Bank manages
the environmental, social, and economic impacts of its internal business
operations by striving for net positive impacts on the ecosystems, communities,
and economies where we have offices. The World Bank’s annual Global
Reporting Initiative (GRI) Index and biennial Sustainability
Review present details on the sustainability considerations
of our operations and corporate practices.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACTS
The Corporate
Responsibility Strategic Plan focuses on the World Bank’s
efforts to: review mandates and progress on Corporate Responsibility
at the World Bank; evaluate the current Corporate Responsibility
landscape and trends; engage stakeholders for input on Corporate
Responsibility issues; identify implementation priorities; and
establish a rolling three-year implementation plan for Corporate
Responsibility.
The priority areas have
been identified by carrying out a survey of international financial
institutions, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and
sustainability news outlets. Internal stakeholders from across the institution
confirmed the analysis and have identified paths forward.
An action plan to set long-term
targets within these impact areas has been approved by the Managing
Director & Chief Administrative Officer.
CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY
PRINCIPLES
10
Sustainability Principles are the bedrock for embedding sustainability
in the Bank's decisions across its internal operations. Using these
Principles in a systematic way will positively impact how we operate
our facilities worldwide as well as throughout our supply chain.
WB Corporate Sustainability Principles
1. Be Climate Resilient
2. Be Energy Smart
3. Be Water Efficient
4. Ensure Resource Efficiency
5. Reduce Waste
6. Promote Sustainable Land Management
7. Eliminate Corruption
8. Enhance Diversity & Inclusion
9. Ensure Staff Wellbeing
10. Engage & Preserve the Community
Namati is dedicated
to putting the power of law in the hands of people.
Namati is a learning organization. With our partners and our network
members, we are continually working to understand how best to advance
justice through legal empowerment.
To date, we have authored
or co-authored over 200 publications, including books, policy briefs,
essays, peer-reviewed articles, and guides for practitioners.
How We Create Impact in the countries where we work directly:
1. Paralegals work with communities to solve justice problems at the
grassroots. Together, they protect community lands, enforce environmental
law, and secure basic rights to healthcare and citizenship. These remedies
improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every year.
2. The individuals who work closely with the paralegals learn about
their rights and how to realize them using the law. They often go on
to support others in their communities, creating ripples of empowerment.
3. We draw on grassroots experience to advocate for changes that make
the system better for everyone. Paralegals rigorously collect data on
every case they handle. We assess that information to identify where
systems are failing and how they can improve. Together with the communities
with which we work, we use that information to advocate for reforms
to laws and policies. These changes can positively affect entire nations.
And the cycle continues… Once reforms are adopted, paralegals and
communities bring the new laws or policies to life by using them to
solve specific problems. It is through this cycle that we advance justice
and democratize law.
4. We learn from each other to get better.
We foster learning among network members, online and in-person. By sharing
evidence, challenges, and lessons from practice, our community becomes
more effective.
5. We strive to transform the policy environment for legal empowerment.
Together with network members, we advocate for policies that will create
the space and structures for our members to work effectively and independently.
The Legal
Empowerment Network is the world’s largest community
of grassroots justice defenders. By the end of 2021, over 11,000 individuals
in 170 countries, representing over 2,800 civil society organizations,
had joined the network.
Prospect, an open-source
data and transaction platform, has been launched with support from the
European Union, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Austria.
According to GET.invest, the platform is the first global open-source,
product-agnostic, real-time and free-of-charge data and transaction
platform that automatically collects, aggregates, analyses and displays
data from all modern sustainable energy solutions.Through
such facilitation, it aims to coordinate big data analysis on any product
segment, region, and country in near real-time. It tracks energy services
ranging from small solar home systems to large mini-grids and grid-connected
distribution networks.
Open source and free
Prospect is free of charge and can
be easily adapted to own needs, deployed on own premises if needed and
is supported by a growing international community.
Prospect serves as trusted
third party for programme managers and sector stakeholders to provide
reliable data that allow direct actions.
The
development of a discipline
by Peter van Gorsel
Peter
van Gorsel
HR, the management of work, culture and people towards a desired end,
is a fundamental activity in any organization. It is an inevitable consequence
of starting, growing and developing an organization. This article takes
a brief look at, what could become a history of human resources.
Fundamental
activity
One of the earliest examples is the way the Romans recruited their army.
To the Romans of the early republic serving in the legion and war itself
were the same thing. For Rome had no army unless it was at war. As long
as there was peace, people stayed at home and there was no army. Rome
is still known today for being in a state of near constant warfare.
The changeover from peace to warfare was a mental as well as spiritual
change. When war was decided upon by the senate then the doors to the
temple of the god Janus would be opened. Only once Rome was at peace
would the doors be closed again.
Classic elements
For the citizen becoming a soldier was a transformation far beyond simply
donning his armour. It was down to the capitol that the consul(s) would,
together with their military tribunes select their men. First to be
chosen from would be the wealthiest, most privileged. Last to be chosen
were fromthe poorest, least privileged. Care would be taken not to deplete
completely the number of men of a particular class or tribe. The typical
recruit to the Roman army would present himself for his interview, armed
with a letter of introduction.The letter would generally have been written
by his family's patron, a local official, or perhaps his father.The
title for this interview was the probatio.All classic elements of managing
human resources seem to be present: selection, change, recruitment,
interviews, network, transformation, managing resources.
Common use of HR
The term human resource management has been commonly used for the last
ten or 15 years. As a term it became a household name widely used in
the 1980s and 1990s as a shorthand for the managingof human resources
next to all the other resources that needed to be managed. HR took off
as a response to competitive pressure, mainly American organizations,
began to experience a change in the 70's. However, it was not until
the 20th century that HR departments were formally developed and tasked
with addressing misunderstandings between employees and their employers,
becoming the link between strategy, planning and execution.
The origin of the term "HR" is believed to have emerged in
the late 19th century, when the generic term "personnel" came
into fashion to refer to the management of people within an organization
as a source of production on an almost machine-like basis. John R. Commons,
an American institutional economist, first coined the term human resource
in his book The Distribution of Wealth, published in 1893. The name
change is, however, not merely cosmetic. It formally coupled three fields:
administration, management and resource planning. Prior to that the
field was, and was for a long period, generally known as personnel administration.
Staff and personnel are synonyms, but nor always interchangeable. The
latter usually refers to organization charts (personnel department)
and accounting (personnel expenses) and is used more generically. Staff
is more usually in collocations like in a member of staff.
From administration to staff function
Personnel administration, emerging in 1920's as a clearly defined field,
was largely concerned with the technical aspects of hiring & firing,
evaluating, and compensating employees. At its best it was very much
a 'staff and support" function in most organizations.
These departments and their staff were still regarded as facilitating
the process rather than playing a strategic role. There have been notable
attempts to capture the changing nature of personnel roles in response
to major transformations in the workplace and the associated rise of
'HR'. The field did not normally focus on the relationship of separate
employment practices, a.k.a. organizational silos, on the overall organizational
performance or on the systematic relationship between such practices,
nor on the aspect of organizing and retaining knowledge, which did not
appear until the Information Age, also known as the Digital Age, which
begins in the mid-to-late 20th century CE and lasts to the present day,
representing the current time period we are now in.
HR development was further a result of other external factors such as
globalization, deregulation and to keep up rapid (technological) change.
The field of human resources as we came to know it today, however, did
not truly develop until the 20th century. The increasing complexity
of the modern workplace and the need to manage a diverse workforce led
to the creation of specialized roles and departments devoted to managing
personnel. The Human Resources (HR) function has always been on the
forefront of integrating technology in organizations. In fact, one of
the earliest business processes to be automated was the payroll administration.
Since then, HR has continued to merge new technology with old processes;
increasing efficiency, producing reports and improving decision making.
Thought leaders
A decade ago (1992) Storey explored the emerging impact of workplace
change on personnel practice in the UK and proposed a new fourfold typology
of personnel roles: 'advisors', 'handmaidens', 'regulators' and 'changemakers'.
Have these four roles changed now that HR has increasingly become part
of the rhetoric and reality of organizational change and performance?
If Storey's work provides an empirical and analytical benchmark for
examining issues of 'role change', then Ulrich work (1997) in the USA
offers a sweeping prescriptive endpoint for the transformation of personnel
roles that has already been widely endorsed by UK practitioners. He
argues that HR professionals must overcome the traditional marginality
of the personnel function by embracing a new set of roles as champions
of competitiveness in delivering value. Is this a realistic ambition?
The new survey findings and interview evidence from HR managers in major
UK companies presented here suggests that the role of the personnel
professional has changed in a number of significant respects, and has
become more multifaceted and complex, but the negative counter-images
of the past still remain. To partly capture the process of role change.
Storey's original fourfold typology of personnel roles is re-examined
and contrasted with Ulrich's prescriptive vision for the reinvention
of the HR function. Storey's typology has lost much of its empirical
and analytical veracity, while Ulrich's model ends in prescriptive overreach
by submerging issues of role conflict within a new rhetoric of professional
identity. Neither model can adequately accommodate the emergent tensions
between competing role demands, ever-increasing managerial expectations
of performance and new challenges to professional expertise, all of
which are likely to intensify in the future.
A high-performance organization
Human Resources (HR) is a commonly used term in the business world to
refer to the department or function within an organization responsible
for managing personnel. Some organizations may use alternative terms
such as "people and culture" or "talent management"
to reflect a focus on employee engagement and development. However,
the term "Human Resources" is widely recognized and understood.
A high-performance organization (HPO) cannot exist without an elevated
value placed on human resource management (HR) and human resource development
(HRD). However, a complementary pairing of HR and HRD has not always
existed. The evolution of HRD from its roots in the transference of
human knowledge to HRM and present day HRD activities reveals that environmental,
social, and political influences have escalated the need for organizations
to focus employee development in the areas of flexibility, innovation,
and capability. Building on a close association between the attributes
of a HPO and the skills transferred through an effective collaboration
of HRM and HRD activities.
The future of HR is likely to involve a greater focus on technology
and automation, as well as the use of data analytics to improve decision-making
and drive business performance. Additionally, there will likely be a
greater emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as on
the development of a more flexible and agile workforce.
Other trends may include the use of virtual reality and other emerging
technologies for training and development, and the use of artificial
intelligence and machine learning to assist with recruitment and talent
management. HR officers can play an important role in the decision-making
process of a company, and as such, it can be beneficial for them to
have a seat in the boardroom. They can bring valuable insights and perspective
on issues related to the company's workforce, such as recruitment, retention,
employee engagement and compliance with labour laws. However, whether
or not HR officers should have a seat in the boardroom depends on the
specific needs and structure of the company.
The CHRO as part of the executive leadership team
Why does the CFO always have the 'ear' of the CEO? Because of the numbers.
We now have tools and methods to quantify HR's capabilities. The time
of the reactive HR department is gone and is not coming back. HR must
now function as a full leadership member of the senior strategy team;
having more influence now The CHRO has become one of the most important
and enhanced roles on the executive leadership team. This has by no
means, always been the case. The CHRO, previously director of personnel,
traditionally played a largely administrative role and was not always
part of the decision-making unit. Trends over the years clearly show
the development:
1980's HR goes strategic
but still in the silo
1990's HR at the table
part of the DMU
2000's HR at executive
level the C is added to the function
Today's HR
leaders face challenges that affect his functioning: competitive business
environment, changing economy, multiple crises, and hybrid working.
This in turn creates challenges for leaders and employees. There is
no magical formula but there are important lessons to be learned. Success
depends on active roles:
External business leader
Internal business leader
Employee advocate
Knowledge advocate
Team leader
Brand ambassador
Supporting factors
Neuropsychology can be important for HR because it can help HR professionals
understand how the brain processes information and how that can impact
employee behaviour, decision-making, and performance. This knowledge
can be used to improve communication and training, design more effective
management strategies, and create a more positive and productive work
environment. However, it's important to note that neuropsychology is
just one aspect of HR and there are many other factors that are important
to consider when managing and developing a workforce.
It can predict skill needs and development, steer learning and development,
tackle diversity, inclusion and equality. Attracting a more balanced
workforce, improving employee satisfaction and future revenue. We can
now add human capital as astrategic asset and manage it the same way
other, hard and legal assets are managed.
The value proposition for consultancy based on neuroscientific insights
is that it can provide businesses and organizations with a better understanding
of how the human brain processes information and makes decisions. This
knowledge can then be used to create more effective marketing campaigns,
improve product design, and enhance employee training and development
programs. Additionally, neuroscientific insights can be used to develop
more engaging and effective user interfaces, and to create more personalized
and effective customer experiences. Overall, the use of neuroscientific
insights in consulting can help organizations better understand and
influence human behaviour, resulting in increased productivity and profitability.
AI has the potential to significantly impact the hiring process by automating
certain tasks and making the process more efficient. However, it is
unlikely that AI will completely replace human hiring managers. AI can
assist in tasks such as resume screening and scheduling interviews,
but ultimately, human decision-making and judgment are still necessary
in the hiring process. Additionally, AI can be bias, due to the data
it has been trained on. Therefore, it is important to ensure that AI
systems are designed and implemented in a fair and unbiased manner.
Established
in 2025, the purpose of the new organization was simple: To advocate
for the world's future generations and to protect all living creatures,
present and future. It soon became known as the Ministry for the Future,
and this is its story.
From legendary science
fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson comes a vision of climate change
unlike any ever imagined.
Told entirely through fictional
eye-witness accounts, The Ministry For The Future is a masterpiece of
the imagination, the story of how climate change will affect us all
over the decades to come.
Its setting is not a desolate,
post-apocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us - and in
which we might just overcome the extraordinary challenges we face.
It is a novel both immediate
and impactful, desperate and hopeful in equal measure, and it is one
of the most powerful and original books on climate change ever written.
Kim Stanley Robinson
is an American science fiction writer, probably best known for his award-winning
Mars trilogy.
His work delves into ecological
and sociological themes regularly, and many of his novels appear to
be the direct result of his own scientific fascinations, such as the
15 years of research and lifelong fascination with Mars which culminated
in his most famous work. He has, due to his fascination with Mars, become
a member of the Mars Society.
Robinson's work has been
labeled by reviewers as "literary science fiction".
Animal populations have declined on average by 60%
since 1970, and it’s predicted that around a
million species are at risk of extinction. As more of the
Earth’s biodiversity disappears and the human population grows, protected
landscapes that are set aside to conserve biodiversity are increasingly
important. Sadly, many are underfunded – some of Africa’s most treasured
wildlife reserves operate in funding
deficits of hundreds of millions of dollars.
In unfenced wilderness, scientists rarely have an
inventory on the exact numbers of species in an area at a particular
time. Instead they make inferences using one of many different survey
approaches, including camera traps, track surveys, and drones. These
methods can estimate how much and what kind of wildlife is present,
but often require large amounts of effort, time and money.
Camera traps are placed in remote locations and
activated by movement. They can collect vast quantities of data by taking
photographs and videos of passing animals. But this can cost tens of
thousands of dollars to run and once in the wild, cameras are at the
mercy of curious wildlife.
Track surveys rely on specialist trackers, who aren’t
always available and drones, while promising, have restricted access
to many tourism areas in Africa. All of this makes wildlife monitoring
difficult to carry out and repeat over large areas. Without knowing
what’s out there, making conservation decisions based on evidence becomes
almost impossible.
Citizen science on Safari
Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries
in the world – 42m
people visited sub-Saharan Africa in 2018 alone. Many come
for the unique wildlife and unknowingly collect valuable conservation
data with their phones and cameras. Photographs on social media are
already being used to help track
the illegal wildlife trade and how often areas
of wilderness are visited by tourists.
Despite this, tourists and their guides are still
an overlooked source of information. Could your holidays snaps help
monitor endangered wildlife? In
a recent study, we tested exactly this.
Partnering with a tour operator in Botswana, we
approached all guests passing through a safari lodge over three months
in the Okavango Delta and asked them if they were interested in contributing
their photographs to help with conservation. We provided those interested
with a small GPS logger – the type commonly used for tracking pet cats
– so that we could see where the images were being taken.
We then collected, processed, and passed the images
through computer models to estimate the densities of five large African
carnivore species – lions, spotted hyaenas, leopards, African wild dogs
and cheetahs. We compared these densities to those from three of the
most popular carnivore survey approaches in Africa – camera trapping,
track surveys, and call-in stations, which play sounds through a loudspeaker
to attract wildlife so they can be counted.
The tourist photographs provided similar estimates
to the other approaches and were, in total, cheaper to collect and process.
Relying on tourists to help survey wildlife saved up to US$840 per survey
season. Even better, it was the only method to detect cheetahs in the
area – though so few were sighted that their total density couldn’t
be confirmed.
Thousands of wildlife photographs are taken every
day, and the study showed that we can use statistical models to cut
through the noise and get valuable data for conservation. Still, relying
on researchers to visit tourist groups and coordinate their photograph
collection would be difficult to replicate across many areas. Luckily,
that’s where wildlife tour operators could come in.
Tour operators could help collect tourist images
to share with researchers. If the efforts of tourists were paired with
AI that could process millions of images quickly, conservationists could
have a simple and low-cost method for monitoring wildlife.
Tourist photographs are best suited for monitoring
large species that live in areas often visited by tourists – species
that tend to have high economic and ecological value. While this method
perhaps isn’t as well suited to smaller species, it can still indirectly
support their conservation by helping protect the landscapes they live
in.
The line between true wilderness and landscapes
modified by humans is becoming increasingly blurred, and more people
are visiting wildlife in their natural habitats. This isn’t always a
good thing, but maybe conservationists can use these travels to their
advantage and help conserve some of the most iconic species on our planet.
What
Is Ecotourism & Why Should We Be Ecotourists? by Dr Hayley Stainton
Ecotourism
is growing in popularity around the world (which is a great thing!).
But what is ecotourism and why is ecotourism important? In this video
I will tell you what ecotourism is and give a range of examples of how
ecotourism can take place and how you can be an ecotourist. Essentially
a form of sustainable tourism, ecotourism is generally viewed as a positive
type of tourism, that has favourable impacts on the environment and
society. Learn more about ecotourism in this video!
Eco India:
India's tradition to worship nature is proving to be beneficial for
conservation efforts by DW and Scroll.in
The Brutally Honest Sustainable
Tourism Video by ReThinkingTourism
What is
sustainable tourism?
by The Travel Foundation
By its very
nature, tourism values the things that are most precious in our world:
stunning landscapes, wildlife, history, culture and people. Tourism
can be a catalyst for growth in the local economy, providing good quality
jobs, opportunities for enterprise and funds for conservation. But if
it is not managed well, tourism can have negative impacts on local communities
and environments, creating long term problems for local residents, which
can ultimately lead to the decline of tourism in the destination.
The aim of sustainable
tourism is to increase the benefits and to reduce the negative impacts
caused by tourism for destinations. This can be achieved by:
Protecting natural
environments, wildlife and natural resources when developing and managing
tourism activities
Providing authentic
tourist experiences that celebrate and conserve heritage and culture
Creating socio-economic
benefits for communities through employment and income earning opportunities
Examples
Costa Rica
is one of the most well-known examples of ecotourism. It's a tropical
destination boasting rainforests, cloud forests, countless beaches,
volcanoes and mountains.
How to
help communities thrive through ecotourism
by WWF International
Ecotourism is thriving in Costa Rica, benefiting both locals and wildlife.
Here’s how one community shared camera trap images online and attracted
ecotourists to their patch of jungle.
Can eco-tourism
help save the ocean?
by The Economist
Green
Travel and Sustainable Travel Practices by AltexSoft
Founded in 1990, The International
Ecotourism Society (TIES) has been on the forefront of the development
of Ecotourism, providing guidelines and standards, training, technical
assistance, and educational resources.
The International Ecotourism
Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ecotourism.
Founded in 1990, TIES has been on the forefront of the development of
ecotourism, providing guidelines and standards, training, technical
assistance, and educational resources. TIES’ global network of
ecotourism professionals and travelers is leading the efforts to make
tourism a viable tool for conservation, protection of bio-cultural diversity,
and sustainable community development.
Through membership services,
industry outreach and educational programs, TIES is committed to helping
organizations, communities and individuals promote and practice the
principles of ecotourism. TIES currently has members in more than 190
countries and territories, representing various professional fields
and industry segments including: academics, consultants, conservation
professionals and organizations, governments, architects, tour operators,
lodge owners and managers, general development experts, and ecotourists.
The International Ecotourism
Society (TIES) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ecotourism.
Founded in 1990, TIES has been on the forefront of the development of
ecotourism, providing guidelines and standards, training, technical
assistance, and educational resources. TIES’ global network of
ecotourism professionals and travelers is leading the efforts to make
tourism a viable tool for conservation, protection of bio-cultural diversity,
and sustainable community development.
Through membership services,
industry outreach and educational programs, TIES is committed to helping
organizations, communities and individuals promote and practice the
principles of ecotourism. TIES currently has members in more than 190
countries and territories, representing various professional fields
and industry segments including: academics, consultants, conservation
professionals and organizations, governments, architects, tour operators,
lodge owners and managers, general development experts, and ecotourists.
Cycling
routes
Cycling routes are a great example of sustainable, environmentally friendly
tourism. From 2009 to 2011, the European Commission awarded a series
of grants to selected projects that support the development and promotion
of cycling routes throughout Europe.
Sustainable
transnational tourism products
To diversify the EU tourism offer, the European Commission offers co-funding
through the COSME programme to sustainable transnational tourism products.
European
Tourism Indicators System for sustainable destination management
Tourist destinations are increasingly being called upon to tackle social,
cultural, economic, and environmental challenges. To help them measure
their performance in relation to sustainability, the European Commission
has developed a ‘European Tourism Indicators System’ (ETIS).
The competitiveness of
the European tourism industry is closely linked to its sustainability
and the European Commission works on a number of initiatives in this
area.
The competitiveness and
sustainability of the tourism industry go hand-in-hand as the quality
of tourist destinations is strongly influenced by their natural and
cultural environment and their integration into the local community.
Long-term sustainability
requires a balance between economic, socio-cultural, and environmental
sustainability. The need to reconcile economic growth and sustainable
development also has an ethical dimension.
Sustainable tourism
actions
Diversifying the EU tourism offer - sustainable transnational tourism
products
As part of its work in
diversifying the tourism experiences on offer in the EU, the Commission
co-funds sustainable
transnational tourism products that can contribute to tourism
growth.
These are thematic products
and services in areas such as environmentally friendly tourism including
cycling
routes,
sports and wellbeing tourism, nature tourism, and cultural
routes crossing Europe.
Because tourist destinations
are increasingly called upon to measure their performance in relation
to sustainability, the Commission has developed a European
Tourism Indicators System as a simple method for measuring
sustainability performance.
The EU Ecolabel is a voluntary
tool that is available to tourism accommodation services willing to
prove and promote their environmental excellence. Specific EU Ecolabel
criteria have been developed for tourist accommodation and campsite
services.
EMAS
registration allows actors in the tourism sector to improve their environmental
performance and promote the quality of their services. EMAS
best environmental management practice document can guide
them in this process.
Background
Major challenges for sustainable
tourism include
preserving natural
and cultural resources
limiting negative impacts
at tourist destinations, including the use of natural resources and
waste production
promoting the wellbeing
of the local community
reducing the seasonality
of demand
limiting the environmental
impact of tourism-related transport
Stefan
Hyttfors is a futurist keynote speaker. He lectures on how innovation,
disruptive technologies and behavioral change affects the world. The
mission is to inspire as many as possible to embrace change.
Hunting
for the unknown. Not a big fan of plans. Believe in constant learning.
Stefan
Hyttfors'
story
"I’m not a big
fan of plans. Plans can only do two things. Either they become stories
we tell ourselves about how we controlled the events and outcomes of
our lives – that kind of plan can help us look cooler, smarter
or grittier than we really are – or they can severely constrict
us. Sticking to them doesn’t help because we can’t predict
the future. I believe in being open and curious – having a map
and a compass, but no fixed route.
As a teenager I thought
photojournalists had the coolest job on the planet, sending home pictures
of wars and elections, sporting events and natural disasters. That was
how the rest of us got to see the world. The dream was so addictive
that it eclipsed everything else. I flunked out of high school and started
photographing like a maniac. I hung around the news floor at a daily
paper, a tentative teenager with wild expectations, like an office mascot.
I managed to sell a couple of pictures from sites of accidents or hockey
games. Back then I was interested in North America and wanted to see
if I could make a living over there. I felt my camera could take me
anywhere.
So I moved to Los Angeles,
then ended up in New York where I stayed for five years and had the
time of my life. It was a constant challenge. It was only when my girlfriend
and I were expecting a child that we decided to move back to Sweden
and see if we could find new footing here. After a few right turns and
a couple of wrong ones, my experience in media landed me a position
as photo editor-in-chief at the paper where I used to work. It was bad
timing. This was during a period of downsizing and the executive position
meant I had to lay off my old friends in the staff, people I had worked
with for years. I sometimes had to go out running twice a day just to
sweat out the anxiety. Eventually I reached a tipping point. I felt
that if I stayed any longer I’d end up becoming one of “those”
executives who just clings to job safety.
I resigned, and I got a
few gigs here and there helping corporations with media. Then I founded
a public relations agency with three friends, Wenderfalck PR. We had
a lucky start and we grew quickly. Within a few years we had twenty
employees and our office in a skyscraper. We won awards, the whole shebang.
It took me five years to figure out I wasn’t enjoying it. I’m
a doer by nature and now I was a manager again. I also grew cynical.
What were we really selling? We were helping the largest companies persuade
the public. My ideas of right and wrong was making it hard to get out
of bed in the morning. I was putting makeup on the same old facades.
I’ve always despised
the cowardice of people who are only in it for the money. Now I was
one of them. Some people are happy doing PR but I wasn’t. I quit
the company I founded. It’s a lot like a divorce.
Since then I’ve been
riding solo. I tell others that small organizations are the future,
and the smallest, most agile organization conceivable is the one man
operation. I’m curious to meet the future, and to see how it will
change my plans for the better.
I’m convinced there’s
only one source of security in life, and that’s your belief in
your own ability. You need confidence to take risks. And throughout
my life I’ve had a feeling that whatever situation I get into I
will handle it. My favorite question is simply:
Why not?"
BIO
Stefan Hyttfors is an acclaimed futurist, author and global speaker.
Stefan has a background
as a journalist and economist, today he is one of Europe’s leading
voices on disruptive technologies, behavioral change and next-generation
leadership. His presentations are tailor-made but always with a solid
foundation about sustainability, globalization and digitalization. The
feedback from the audience is always a mix of “inspiring and entertaining
but with an important sense of urgency”.
According to Stefan the
future is not to be predicted, it is to be created. His vision is to
help companies and individuals embrace change on a global scale to create
a better future.
Stefan has been awarded
the Swedish Speaker of the Year twice.
David Weitzner
Peter van Gorsel
Kasim Rafiq
